David Koch’s death will not stop his political agenda;  his wealth will allow them to flourish decades after his death. The policies he supported politically hurt the middle-class, but he was a great philanthropist.   

David Koch was a complex man. He was a staunch libertarian. His politics, more so, the spillover of them helped promote right-wing movements like the Tea Party and the alt-right movement. He was one of the world’s wealthiest persons, and he wasn’t afraid to use his riches to boost his views. Many people think that those views hurt more than help the American middle-class. 

David Koch’s Death & Legacy

He was a great philanthropist; he gave away more than $1 billion to various causes. People like Anand Giridharadas, the bestselling author of Winners Take All, would make a convincing argument that David Koch’s philanthropic endeavors weres to mask his evil deeds.

The question is how we, the middle class, are supposed to mourn this American capitalist and industrialist. His unyielding belief in free trade, free markets, and lax business regulations made him a billionaire 40 times over.  However, that belief undoubtedly hurt the middle class.

David Koch is the conundrum that Anand Giridharadas tried to simplify for us in his book. Here’s the man who got rich and helped others. That in itself should be a one-one win according to Jay-Z, but it’s not that obvious for David Koch. 

The Citizen United decision, which is a United States Supreme Court decision, classifies political spending as a form of protected speech under the first amendment.  That law reduces the power of the middle-class voters and increases the power of big corporations. David Koch spent millions of dollars to make that happen.

David Koch was a complex American capitalist and industrialist. He helped and hurt those in need. It’s up to the American middle class to remember him how they want.